I've been looking for a offroad toy to replace my current hobby of motocross, I retired from racing last weekend after a big off.

As a kid my dad always had Landrovers, he had a 80 trials motor with a fwd control to carry it to events, a series II or a series III 88 and then a range rover classic. I've now got a hinkering for one, but which one I don't know (infact I can't say im all that bothered, although a coil sprung v8 90 is the one that sets my trousers twitching!)

I've sat down and had a look at the fuel costs for a v8 against a td300 and I recon they will probably work out to be about the same if I get an LPG V8. The only thing I don't know is what kind of other costs are associated with them. Can anyone give me any pointers please and the pros and cons to each.

It really is down to personal choice, as both the Rover V8 and the TDi engines have been around for donkeys years and have massive parts and supply backups. I cant comment on parts prices though as Ive never owned either of them myself.

if you are looking for a pure toy then the V8 would be my first stop, for the noise and power. However, the big drawback is that if you are planning to offroad it, petrol engines really dont like wading!!!!as for purchase and running costs, the lower price of a V8 (due to fuel prices putting people off) would probably be balanced by having a professional LPG kit fitted if there isnt one; if there is then there will be a premium on the purchase price anyway. You have to think about the practicality though as there isnt much room for an LPG tank in the back of a 90 if you still want some space for loads/passengers, but underslung tanks are generally a big no-no for off roading.As far as running it is concerned, then a 300TDi will quite happily run on anything up to 40% straight veg oil mixed with the DERV in the tank, making it much cheaper to run than usual.Both engines will go on for a long time if well maintained but both have major issues to check for. The TDi needs the cambelt replacing religiously at 70k mile intervals, and if the vendor cant produce proof of when it was last done, budget for it to be done ASAP. if it goes, wave goodbye to most of the top-end valvetrain.The V8 likes VERY regular oil changes, without them it will quickly sludge up inside and die. If the oil is black and thick in one youre looking to buy, walk away. Also, while most people go for a carb'd 3.5 or an EFI 3.9, be wary of the 4.2 and 4.6 litre versions - they are known for porous blocks and, especially in the case of the 4.6, cracking between the cylinder and coolant jacket, letting coolant into the cylinder. This is a new-engine scenario.

In terms of regular servicing the V8 will need spark plugs, air filter, oil and oil filter. A diesel will need fuel filter, air filter, oil, and oil filter. The costs roughly balance themselves out. The V8 is a little more fragile than the TDi engine in terms of susceptibility to cam wear (cam need changing on average at around 100k miles) so budget for a new cam, timing gear, timing chain and followers (to check prices look at http://www.realsteel.co.uk) if the mileage is around 100k and they have never been done. That said the TDi injectors start to degrade performance and economy wise after 100k miles and may need an overhaul (cheaper than a V8 valve train but still a factor). The V8s are more susceptible to water issues when wading as Mat points out but its not impossible to make them as good as a Diesel. The pic below is a 3.5 V8 101FC undergoing water trials for the military. They went ever deeper until the driver was in dire need of a snorkel!

'A person without a sense of humor is like a wagon without springs. It's jolted by every pebble on the road' - Henry Ward Beecher

gazman wrote:I've sat down and had a look at the fuel costs for a v8 against a td300 and I recon they will probably work out to be about the same if I get an LPG V8. The only thing I don't know is what kind of other costs are associated with them. Can anyone give me any pointers please and the pros and cons to each.

Cheers Gaz

Diesel engines are fairly robust however the 300tdi has a rubber timing belt, in extream conditions needs to replaced every 2 years. expensive if you can't do it yourself. Diesel engines consume more oil and filters inc fuel filters as the service intervals are usually close together but generally need not much else unless something on the fuel / air side goes wrong and then the repair bills can be astronomical. Rule of thumb....if you do many miles, get a diesel as they work well over long distances and especially when warmed up.

Petrol engines generally have longer intervals between oil changes unless like my V8 that came from the London Ambulance Service, changed their oils ever 6 thousand miles without fail. Generally a petrol engine is cheaper to service and cheaper to repair as you are looking at spark plugs, occationally leads need replacing and the distributor cap. V8 engines have their pitfalls as do the 200 and 300tdis. Impossible to say which engine / vehicle is going to be cheaper to run being as you want to off road with it but be prepared to consider all the angles. The drive train on a land rover also has it's weak spots.

[quote="gazman"]I didn't know land rovers would run on 40% veg oil. That's worth bearing in mind./quote]

neither did I until someone in my local club tried it apparently successfully. though it would probably be a good idea to keep an eye on the fuel filter though and run some fuel system cleaner through it occassionally to get rid of any veg oil starch/gunk

Why? It's the most simple EFi system ever fitted to any car and very easy to fix.

I'd be less concerned about which engine/transmission and would be more inclined to buy a vehicle based on structural condition. Most Land Rovers of this age are complete rot boxes so the cost of maintaining the engine could pale into insignificance compared to the cost of repairing large aounts of rust.